To Tame a Beast
by Aria6
Summary: Forbidden love. It all started so strangely, and it's continuing the same way. What were we thinking? Probably nothing at all, but it's impossible to stop... Rukia/Grimmjow, might be some pregnancy involved later.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: I just thought about this pairing, then tried to figure out how it could come about. This fic is the result. And the reason I haven't put up much lately is that I have relatives over, and little babies. x_x Life is so difficult sometimes.

_Why am I doing this?_ His body was so close to mine. He was burning me with the heat of his skin. His flesh was so hard against my soft body. It felt like he could break me, but I was stronger than that.

"Why are we doing this again, soul reaper?" His voice was a warm grumble in my ear. His breath smelled faintly of old blood. No surprise, for a creature like him.

_An excellent question._ She had no idea why they were doing this. It was beyond stupid for them both. When had it started? How had it started? Well, she knew the answer to all that. The real question was why they'd thought it made sense to continue it.

"Because you're horny and I'm stupid." She muttered in his ear, giving him the truth she knew. There was a sharp bark of laughter in her ear and hot hands were under her clothing, pulling it away. For a brief moment, she was thankful that he was so much taller than her. Even if someone happened upon them they would see almost nothing of her.

They were in a back alley. There was trash in the corners, puddles of things that were better left unnamed littering the ground. For one horrible moment she thought he would just drop her clothing, but he was better trained than that. Although not by much, since he tossed it onto the roof of a nearby building.

"You're getting that for me when we're done." She snarled, fighting down a blush at the thought of having to fly up there stark naked to retrieve her things. A wicked grin greeted her.

"I love it when you're mad." He purred in her ear before playing with her. Those huge hands, so expert at crushing lives and hopes, cupped her breasts with surprising delicacy. He ran his thumbs over her nipples and she groaned before biting her hand, silencing any sound. They couldn't afford to be caught, and somehow the danger made her lust sharper.

He kept playing with her for a while, sharp fangs dragging across the soft skin of her neck as he fondled her beasts. Then his hands moved to her rear, teasing her and parting her legs. A thick thumb found her nub and stroked that small, sensitive piece of flesh. Her mouth opened in an O of pleasure as a single finger slipped past her folds, delving into her wet heat.

"Nice and wet down there, soul reaper. Ready for more?" He undid his hakama, letting the white fabric pool around his feet, headless of the dirt. She nodded, trembling with anticipation. "Good, because I can't wait." His cock was hard and upright, pressing against her belly. She glanced down at it, marvelling at the size. It was huge, just like always.

Then it was sliding inside her and she arched as her small body flexed, fighting to accommodate that huge length. It didn't take long for her to adjust. She knew his body as well as her own and knew exactly how to take him into herself.

And he knew how long it would take her. When she was ready he began to take her, groaning as if her insides were the best thing he had ever felt. Was it because she was so small? Because she was a soul reaper? Because if Ichigo ever found out, he would be furious? Pleasure wiped away any coherent thought and she clung to him, tangling her small hands into his white jacket.

His cock continued assaulting her inner walls, pounding into her with skill and ferocity. It was always like this with him, always rough and quick yet oh, so good. His fangs grazed her throat again, raising the merest kiss of blood. Those tiny droplets excited him, but were not enough to leave a mark. They couldn't afford any marks.

"Nnnn, ah!" She panted, resting her forhead on his broad chest, feeling the scar that decorated his skin and the rippling muscles beneath. "Grimmjow." She whispered his name into his ear, feeling him shudder at the soft touch of her breath.

"Rukia." His answering snarl made her insides react, gripping and squeezing down on that hard length. She was so close to release she could taste it and each thrust was taking her closer to the edge. "Gah!" His deep howl was too loud, but she didn't care as his movements suddenly became quick and erratic. Those harsh, jolting thrusts took her over and she cried out as her body convulsed around him, her juices sliding over him as he emptied himself into her waiting warmth.

They stayed like that for a moment, both of them breathing hard and tangled together. She didn't want to let go of his jacket, didn't want to remove her face from his chest. The sweat, the musk of sex and the feeling of hard muscles against her were intoxicating. Even his scar felt good, rasping and pleasant against her skin. He was still inside her, slowly softening. She could feel his uneven breathing, the rise and fall of that powerful chest.

He finally drew away, a gush of warm fluid following. Rukia grimaced as it ran down her leg, catching herself on unsteady feet as he pulled up his hakama. To her surprise, he produced a handful of tissue from a pocket hidden somewhere.

"I noticed I seem to have a bit more in there than you can take, thought you might like these." He said with his typical arrogant cockiness. She smiled in amusement and took the tissues.

"Keep flattering yourself." She said as she sponged away the mess from her thighs. He fetched her clothing and tossed it to her. She had just finished buckling it up and was about to speak again when they were rudely interrupted.

"Rukia!" She turned, surprised, as she heard Orihime's voice. The human woman paused, looking puzzled and glancing around. "Was there someone else here? I thought I felt a hollow." She said uncertainly and Rukia silently blessed Grimmjow's sonido. He was amazingly deft with it and equally good at hiding his reiatsu when he wanted to. She would never have believed it when they first met – he'd seemed as brash as Kenpachi or Ichigo – but he said it came from the endless hunts in Hueco Mundo. Grimmjow was an excellent hunter.

"I took care of it." She said, which was technically not a lie. She'd taken care of it alright. "Were we going to tea?" Her gigai was sitting outside not too far away, inhabited by her Chappy soul candy. She would take it back and join her human friends for a bit of down time. Orihime beamed at her and nodded.

"The tea place is serving a full English high tea! It will be so amazing!" She said happily and Rukia smiled back. She'd done the Japanese tea ceremony many, many times, but never an English style high tea. For once crazy moment she wished Grimmjow could join her. He'd endured the Japanese ceremony and hated it. What would he think of the European version?

Rukia put the thought out of mind, following her friend. She would never find out.

It was better that way.


	2. Wanker

Grimmjow knelt on the edge of the building, watching the little soul reaper and the woman going about their business.

His gaze paused on Orihime Inoue, but not for long. He quickly turned his attention back to his little lover. Rukia was the sweetest bit of ass he'd had in his life and he'd be a liar if he said he wasn't feeling a bit protective.

Not that he could protect her from shit. Lips curled away from sharp canine teeth as the blue haired ex-Espada thought about their situation. It had all started after his battle with Kurosaki. He'd been a fucking mess after Nnoitra had nearly done him in, but Nel had been there. And for some reason she'd decided to puke all over him.

He might have been furious if he hadn't known about her disgusting healing technique. But he'd been the ninth Espada when she'd been the third, so he'd been thankful instead. The healing puke had bound together his deeper wounds and let him get ambulatory. Then he'd gone off to see what Kurosaki was up to.

On the way they'd stumbled over Rukia. She'd been nearly as fucked up as him, lying in a pool of her own blood where Yammy had thrown her. The big jackass had been busy fighting two taichou and Grimmjow had just watched as Nel went and puked on the soul reaper, too. Grimmjow had been admiring the fighting styles when Nel had tugged on his jacket and demanded he take the girl somewhere safe.

He had no idea why he'd done it. Maybe it had just been because _safe_ had sounded good right then, with his body and power so ripped up. It wasn't like he could fight Kurosaki again and either of those captains would have turned him into so much mangled meat. So he'd tossed the girl over a shoulder and taken her to his secret hideout.

That little hideaway dated back to his days as a young adjuchas. He'd left it behind when he'd gained his fraccion since they couldn't fit, but he'd never forgotten the location. A small cavern hidden away deep in a rocky formation, it was hard to find. To his pleasure, it was still empty and he'd quickly settled the shinigami in with him. Nel had stayed in Los Noches to search for her brothers and her Itsygo. So they'd been alone.

In retrospect, taking the soul reaper with him had been stupid. Sure, he'd hidden her from any threats. He'd hidden her from her buddies, too. And his own healing powers were absolute shit compared to Nel's. His saliva had a few healing properties but he was no vasto lorde like Nel had been. So she'd mended slowly in his care.

"_Who…?" He'd glanced over his shoulder at that rasping voice. Big purple eyes had blinked at him for a moment before going wide. "You!"_

"_Yeah, me." He'd said before crawling over to her. He couldn't stand in this little cave, not now. When he'd been an adjuchas it had been a better fit. He still towered over her prone body. "You got something to say, shinigami?" He challenged her and her eyes had rolled back in her head. "…Tch."_

Taking care of the girl hadn't been difficult, even in his wounded state. Los Noches was deserted and he'd raided the pantry, bringing her Aizen's favorite tea biscuits and big jugs of water. He'd been too weak to open a garganta or he would have done it and dropped her at Kurosaki's feet.

They hadn't had sex then. No, they'd just spent plenty of time sniping at each other. It had been hilarious, mainly because she couldn't do shit to him. And he'd had the time of his life riling her up. It had got so bad she'd even tried to attack him once. Those little fists pounding on his chest had been funny as hell.

But he couldn't keep the little spitfire so when his own wounds had healed, he'd ripped open the garganta and left her on Kurosaki's doorstep. Then he'd pretended to leave, ripping open a big showy garganta before hiding in the shadows to observe.

He'd almost given himself away with the muffled laughter. Kurosaki had lost his powers and could hardly see her so he'd had an excellent excuse, but she'd ripped the pineapple a new one. And she'd even gotten snippy with her brother taichou, when he'd finally turned up. That little family squabble had definitely been worth seeing.

Grimmjow had gone back to Hueco Mundo after that, using a very sly little garganta. The shinigami were so stupid sometimes. They thought that garganta were big, showy things, and they could be if you wanted to issue a challenge or bring a whole army through. But if you just wanted to slip in and out they could be tiny, almost undetectable. Aizen would have had more difficulty keeping his fortress supplied and spying on his enemies if it hadn't been for that.

Grimmjow was good at hiding his reiatsu, too. He wasn't in Ulquiorra's or Szayel's league, but he was still damned good. The stronger you got the more you needed to hide your reiatsu or the prey would run away. Chasing them down was a pain in the ass, since worthwhile prey could be pretty damned fast. So he'd slipped back into the Living World to get a look at his rival. To his absolute disgust, Kurosaki's reiatsu wasn't coming back. But he'd kept checking just in case. It wasn't like he had anything better to do.

So he'd been there when the midget faced off against a hollow that was a bit too tough for her. Although it wouldn't have been, if she'd taken it seriously. But it was so small, just the size of a child and shaped like a ladybug. What could be dangerous about that?

Everything. Grimmjow knew that from his own past. He'd been the exact same size and almost _cute_ back then. A fucking housecat that would rip your face clean off. He was still thinking about that when the ladybug hollow ripped through the girl's shinigami uniform and damn near tore her arm off. If she'd moved just a bit more slowly she'd have been dead. Her violet eyes were wide in shock and Grimmjow knew the next strike was going to finish her off.

So he moved. As strong as the vicious little thing was, it was still a basic hollow. On the verge of hitting Gillian, but basic. His hand closed on bone white wing cases and the thing made a shrill insect sound. Grimmjow tried to decide if it was fear or rage and finally decided it was rage.

"Haven't you ever heard not to underestimate your opponents, soul reaper?" He asked the woman before crushing those wings in his hand. The little monster shrieked, this time in pain, and he tore it in half with his zanpakuto. "Hm." It was worth eating, not like the usual weak trash around here. He tore it into smaller pieces and quickly swallowed it, absorbing the souls and energy it had to offer. "Not bad. Like a nice little strawberry."

"Stay away from Ichigo!" The little shinigami said, starting to her feet. Grimmjow just blinked at her.

"Huh?" He said intelligently. "Oh. It was just the first fruit that came to mind, girl." He hadn't meant anything by it. "Aren't you going to say thank you?" He was pretty sure it was customary when someone saved your life. Thankfully Kurosaki couldn't see him so he could easily duck out of saying it himself. Although saying thank you and following it with 'and now die' was probably pretty damn ungrateful too. She scowled at him.

"I never asked you to." She retorted and he shrugged, sheathing his zanpakuto and sticking his hands in his pockets.

"That's just tough. The rescuee doesn't get a say in the rescue." She looked briefly stunned and Grimmjow wondered what he'd said. Then her sword came out of its sheath and he grinned. Was she going to try her pathetic ice powers again? They'd worked so well last time.

But apparently she'd learned a bit and Grimmjow had to tangle with her kido spells and swordwork. She'd defeated the ninth but he was a damn sight more powerful than Aaroniero. He could have unleashed his resurrection and painted the ground with her blood, but he didn't. For hollows, there were two kinds of battles. A serious, to the death fight and the mating dance. Sometimes the lines between the two blurred but he knew exactly where this fight was going.

It ended with her cold sword impaled into the ground, Pantera right beside it. Grimmjow had the girl pinned to the ground, wiggling under him in a way that was fucking with his mind. Looking into her face he could see that her pupils were blown. She was feeling it too, then.

"I can practically smell your lust, shinigami." He purred at her and was deeply satisfied as she stared in absolute shock. Thought she could hide it, did she? "I think it's time to fuck." He was horny as hell and she was too. Every instinct said _do it _and he was damned if he would disobey.

"No! We can't – anh!" She arched with a gasp as he began kneading her body through those heavy robes. The fabric irritated him, but he had a great idea for how to get rid of it. Giving her a wicked grin, Grimmjow made his way down and began disrobing her with his teeth. Her belt hung from his lips like a fresh kill and he flipped his head, tossing it aside. She was staring and he met those violet eyes again, challenging her wordlessly with his stare. Her gaze was both fearless and glazed with lust, and he licked his lips in anticipation.

She put up only a token resistance, mumbling about how stupid it was as he got rid of her clothes. He didn't bother much with his own. His jacket wasn't in the way and his hakama were perfect for quick fucks. A quick loosening and they were pooled around his knees and he was ready for business. He caught her looking at his cock and grinned. He had plenty to be proud of, down there.

But he wasn't going to the main event too quickly. He liked to have his mates screaming his name, and not because of how much it hurt. So he spread her legs and went down on her, enjoying the scent of her musk and the muffled yelp she made as he glided his tongue between her folds. She was sweet as honey on his tongue and he dove in, reaching as far as he could into that secret place. Then he moved up just a bit and found her nub, upright and ready for his attention. He gave it, sucking on that little pleasure spot until she mewled, her legs trembling in his grip.

That was too much. He needed her like an addict needs their fix, like a fish needs water. Moving up her body he sank into her, groaning at the incredibly tightness surrounding his cock. There was a strangled sound and he looked into her face. She was in pain, at least a bit, but he was so damned big compared to her. Grimmjow growled and struggled to remain still, giving her time to adjust to his size. When the pain had ebbed to almost nothing he began to move.

The wet sound of body against body, soft grunts and sweet cries filled the air. A human walked by, taking a midnight stroll, completely oblivious to the rutting shinigami and hollow. Grimmjow noted it because he noticed everything but didn't even slow his pace. Her insides felt too good around him, tight and hot and wet. Was it because she was so small? Whatever it was, it was damned good.

He had to hold himself back, biting his own hand to keep himself from cumming too soon. He was determined to make her cum first, make her scream his name. Or just scream, that would do too. He got his second wish as her walls rippled around him and she arched as she gave voice to her pleasure. Those clenching muscles took him with her, filling his mind with sparks as his body convulsed, filling the girl with his seed.

"Shit." He mumbled, staring into those violet eyes and sweat soaked black hair. She looked dazed, almost on the brink of losing consciousness. "Get it together, girl. You need to go back to work." He said, not unkindly. But she had things to do and they didn't include passing out on the pavement. She groaned then punched him in the chest.

"I hate you. Get off me." She said and he chuckled before pulling out of her and climbing to his feet. It only took him seconds to fix up his hakama, which gave him plenty of time to admire her as she found her clothing. "And stop staring at me!"

"But you look so good." He said then had to dodge as she threw a kido at him. "Feisty. I'll see you later, Rukia." He used sonido to escape, grinning as he heard her swearing behind him.

But that was the past. This was the present and Grimmjow scowled as the two girls entered a tea shop. What was with this place and tea? To him the stuff tasted like grass. What would he want with grass? He was a fucking carnivore. Grass was for pussies. That thought suddenly made him grin because the girls _did_ have pussies, after all. That amusing thought got sidetracked as he saw an Ichigo-fucking-Kurosaki walking up to the tea shop. A quick reiatsu check showed Grimmjow that the teen was powerless as always and he growled to himself before heaving a sigh. He'd thought about killing the kid. It almost seemed merciful sometimes, when Kurosaki was looking depressed as fuck. But then Rukia would never sleep with him again and he didn't want that.

Smiling to himself, Grimmjow left and created another of his mini-gargantas, heading back to Hueco Mundo.

He did a lot of strange things for pussy.

* * *

It was about a month later before something interesting happened.

Not that sex wasn't interesting. It was interesting in spades, but it was also expected. This was something he'd begun to give up on. In another week or two he'd have stopped checking and he might have missed it entirely.

_Kurosaki has his powers back!_ A wicked grin split his face before turning into a frown. They felt… weird. Different. Sort of hollow like but not quite? Scowling, he began hunting down the brat. His reiatsu felt powerful, that was good enough for him.

He wasn't expecting to find the kid fleeing in terror from something. It was actually sort of scary. Never once, even when he'd been beating the kid half to death, had he seen the shinigami terrified. Exhausted, out of it, pissed as hell, sure. But scared? Not ever. Until now, anyway.

And some jackass with black hair was following him. Grimmjow scowled. He had a powerful reiatsu, too, and it felt a lot like Kurosaki's. What had the damned brat been up to?

"Hey Kurosaki!" He decided to intervene and landed on the ground right in front of the ginger. Kurosaki damn near ran right into him before managing to skid to a halt. "You look like you're about to pee your pants. Is that guy really that fucking scary? He looks like a pussy." He did vaguely remind Grimmjow of Nnoitra. Something about the hair.

"Not you!" Kurosaki was losing it, from the look on his face. "I need someone in their right mind, not you!" That made his eye twitch in irritation. Not in his right mind?

"Fuck you Kurosaki. And you! Fuck off before I kill you." The guy with the black hair had caught up and was giving him a look that reminded him even more of Ulquiorra. Fucking wanker. "He's my prey." Grimmjow fixed a predatory gaze on Kurosaki who just gaped at him. "I've been waiting so long for this." His hands were just itching with anticipation.

But apparently, tall and skinny had other plans. Sword clashed against sword and Grimmjow snarled as he had to fight. Not that he had any objection to fighting, it was what he lived for, but this douchebag wasn't his chosen prey.

He didn't pay much attention when his enemy got through his hierro and made a shallow cut on his shoulder. The wound was nothing, completely unimportant. At least, he thought it was.

But it must have been poisoned or something. Most poisons couldn't affect arrancar, and Szayel had made some special protections for the, but this shit was bananas. Grimmjow wavered as he felt his mind trying to bend and twist. Something _weird_ was going on with the souls in his body and he didn't like it one bit.

"Fuck. Kurosaki! Run, you fucking… pussy…" Grimmjow managed to say before narrowly avoiding a strike at his throat. "Shit!" He knew when to cut his losses. He simply couldn't fight like this and there was no shame in fleeing when you were poisoned and about to puke. Banging out a quick sonido he paused to make sure the stranger wasn't following and ripped open a sloppy garganta. All the soul reapers would detect it, but he didn't care. He needed to get somewhere safe. His mind was spinning, part of him was trying to say that tall wanker was an old buddy while the rest of him was saying KILL, and he was feeling sick enough to die. He quickly stepped through the garganta, his disorientation getting worse with every passing moment.

He'd deal with it when he got to Hueco Mundo.


	3. The Beast Returns

Rukia scowled sharply as a man eyed her assessingly. She parted her hooded cloak just enough to show him the hilt of her sword and should could practically feel him evaluating his chances. He finally turned away and she breathed a small sigh of thankfulness.

Not that she was worried about dealing with a random punk in the Rukongai. But she might have to call on her zanpakuto and someone might sense her here. This was not a place a Kuchiki noble should be visiting, even one who was noble only by adoption.

Taking a deep breath, Rukia ducked down a low slung entry way then started down a long set of stairs. Candles in lanterns lit the way and as she opened the door she wrinkled her nose. She could smell dried herbs, harsh soap and the stale tang of old blood. No matter how many times this place was scrubbed, the blood would remain.

"Can I help you?" The man asking was not old but seemed tired beyond his years. But then, he was a doctor in the Rukongai. No doubt he'd seen all the sorrows of the world in this little hole.

"I want to know if I am pregnant." She said and his eyes seemed to dim. He had her sit on a table and began to run tests. They were kido based, which was what made him the best doctor in the Rukongai. Most could only use their hands and herbs, and would have had no more idea than her about the cause of her late menses.

"You are pregnant. It is very early." His tone was completely neutral as he looked at her. "We have potions that will abort it at this stage with very little trauma to the body." Rukia hesitated a moment. His offer was deeply tempting. If she got rid of the child no one would know but herself. But something inside her rebelled at the thought. It was the easy way out, the cowardly way out.

"Perhaps later… for now, could you tell me how these work?" She pulled out her bottle of contraceptive pills. When she'd first realized her courses were late she'd thought it had to be a defective pill or perhaps she'd forgotten to take one. But then it had occurred to her that she didn't know exactly how the pills worked. Could the fact that Grimmjow was an arrancar have somehow circumvented them? The physician took the bottle and examined it for a moment.

"A very good type. They work by causing your body to absorb any intruding sperm. I'm surprised they didn't work." He said before handing them back and Rukia held back a sigh.

"Of course." She muttered to herself. She didn't know exactly how the kido in the pills worked, but it probably hadn't recognized the arrancar energies she'd been filled with. So it had let Grimmjow's semen go right past. Given the low fertility rates of shinigami it was no surprise that it had taken her a while to become pregnant. She was only surprised it had been possible at all.

"Please, if you decide not to have the child, return to me as soon as you can." The physician warned and Rukia nodded. "Right now it would be a simple cleanse, but the longer you wait the more difficult it will become. I will not help if you go past four months." He said and she grimaced at the thought.

"I'll be back in a month or not at all." She assured him and hoped she could keep the promise. She needed to talk to Grimmjow.

The problem was finding him. He usually accosted her in her duties around Karakura town but she hadn't seen him at all lately. That was a gnawing worry in her belly because the last time anyone had seen him had been his fight with Tsukishima. Ichigo had warned them to keep an eye out for him, but he had also been almost worried about his old enemy. All they knew was that Book of the End had done something unexpected to the arrancar, something that had moved him to flee.

That was not typical of Grimmjow at all and Rukia was afraid he might be dead. She didn't see how a small cut and memory alteration could kill an Espada, but they knew so little about the deceased Fullbringer's abilities. If Grimmjow never came back, she honestly wasn't sure what she would do.

Taking a deep breath she steadied herself as she walked back home. As soon as she was free of the worst part of the Rukongai she used shunpo. It wouldn't matter if anyone felt her presence here.

The next week passed with her unease growing. Rukia finally set a mental time limit of a month. She would give Grimmjow one month to find her before assuming she was alone and making the decisions herself. She had no idea what that decision would be. Even if she never admitted to the father, her pregnancy would be an utter disgrace in the eyes of the Kuchiki clan. She would be cast out, but she would still retain her position as a fukutaichou. That would keep her alive and in a cheap apartment, but how could she raise a child like that? And what if it showed its hollow heritage?

"Yo, shinigami." Hot breath in her ear and a warm but slightly pained voice made her start violently. She turned around, hot words on her lips but they died as she finally saw what had become of the Sexta Espada.

Grimmjow looked like he'd been brutally mauled. Wicked claw marks decorated his cheek and trailed down his neck. Rukia had no doubt that something had tried very, very hard to tear his throat out. Sloppy, badly made bandages were wrapped around his chest, his left forearm and his right leg. He was favoring that leg, putting as little weight onto it as possible.

"What happened to you? Sit down!" She said and he didn't even protest, carefully maneuvering himself onto a nearby set of steps. "Where have you been? What happened?" She asked as she began unwinding the bandages and applying kido healing. Rukia hissed a little as she saw the damage. It looked like he'd been in a battle with a wolf pack.

"That fucker who stabbed me. Did Kurosaki tell you about that?" Grimmjow asked as she began reworking the bandages on his arm. Rukia nodded, her gaze trained on her work. "What the fuck was that shit? I've never felt anything like it, except maybe Aizen's shikai." That made her look up and she met blue eyes that actually held an edge of fear. She felt honored that he trusted her enough to reveal it.

"It was a fullbringer power. It's called Book of the End, and it works by changing the memories of the one affected." She said quietly and Grimmjow looked like he'd had a revelation.

"Shit, no wonder… it was like half of the souls inside me were seeing weird visions, stuff the rest of me knew wasn't true. It was like a bad acid trip but with only half of me along for the ride." He said and Rukia winced. She could imagine it, she was no stranger to mind altering substances. "I was so fucked up that a pack of adjuchas thought they could jump me." He glanced down at his body. "They almost got me, too. Thank god that shit wore off the next day." He growled and Rukia was willing to bet it had worn off the instant the fullbringer died. "I holed up for a while, let my injuries heal a bit before coming here. Figured you'd be worried or some shit." Grimmjow said with a grin and if he hadn't been so badly hurt Rukia would have slapped him.

"As if I would be worried about you. You're too stupid to quit and too vicious to die." She said tartly and Grimmjow laughed as she undid the bandage on his leg. "…How are you even walking?" She asked in awe. It looked like a huge chunk of flesh had been ripped out of his leg. It was repairing itself, gradually filling in, but she was sure the bone had been showing. Grimmjow just shrugged.

"Too stupid to quit. It ain't too bad now. It was really fun when it was fresh." He grunted as she redid the bandages. They were both silent for a moment and Rukia tried to decide if she should even bring it up. He was a terrible mess and really didn't need the stress of dealing with this new problem. But if she didn't mention it when would she see him next? The later she left it the worse it would be for her.

"Grimmjow." She said quietly as she finished rebandaging his leg. He looked at her, sensing the seriousness in her voice and expression. "I have something to tell you." Violet eyes met brilliant blue and she forced out the words. "I'm pregnant." There was a long silence as his expression turned thoughtful.

"Oh." Was all he said before thinking some more. "Who's the father?" He asked, his tone curious. Rukia stared at him for a moment as she absorbed that question before punching him right in the chin. His head snapped back, blue eyes momentarily crossing as his head hit the wall he was sitting against.

"You are you – you – you cretin!" She sputtered, grabbing his jacket and shaking him. "Do you think I sleep around?! How dare you!"

"Hey, hey, calm down. We never agreed to be exclusive." Grimmjow said, holding up his hands in an effort to pacify her. Violet eyes narrowed as she glared at him.

"If you have been screwing other arrancar while you're away, I will rip you to shreds with my bare hands." Rukia said venomously, not even questioning the jealous rage the thought brought up inside her. Grimmjow seemed to find it perfectly normal and just laughed.

"Not one of those bitches could hold a candle to you." He purred. Then he glanced down at her belly, although there was nothing to see there yet. "I'm going to be a daddy?" He said, testing the words out. Rukia let go of his jacket, sitting back.

"Maybe." She said quietly, reminded of all the reasons she shouldn't have this baby. What kind of father would this lunatic be? Maybe not bad – Kenpachi made a good father figure to Yachiru and he was arguably even more insane than Grimmjow – but she couldn't be sure. "I'm not far along. I could… have it removed." It was so tempting. Grimmjow's eyes flashed and she gasped as his hand shot out, gripping her chin.

"No." He growled, his voice a dark grumble that sent a thrill of danger up her spine. "I've always wanted a cub. None of the bitches I mated ever took my seed. Don't kill it." He let go of her chin to stroke her cheek, a gesture more tender than any he had ever given her. "…Please." His voice was almost strangled and she could feel how hard it was for him to say that word.

"I don't want to kill it." She said and he grinned, his white teeth flashing against his battered face. Rukia smiled and couldn't resist kissing him, enjoying the warm growl he made as her body pressed close against him, careful of the wounds. "But have you thought about how we'll make this work?" She asked seriously as she pulled back and Grimmjow frowned.

"You just told me about this five minutes ago." He pointed out, which was actually a very valid complaint. "I don't know shit. Lay it on me." Rukia snorted and had to resist comparing him to Ichigo. They really were so similar, in so many ways.

"A lot of it will depend on how the child will turn out. If we only knew that, we could plan better." She said and Grimmjow nodded. "I don't know who I can go to, though." Unohana and anyone in Soul Society were out of the question. Word would reach Byakuya in about five minutes, if that. That left the Living World. But the people here… Rukia sighed to herself. She didn't want to go to Kisuke with this. He was trying to return to Soul Society and he couldn't afford to be caught keeping secrets from them. Isshin was possible, if she had no other choice, but she'd seen far too much of his antics. She didn't want to go to him with something this serious.

"What about that Quincy fucker?" Grimmjow said and Rukia looked at him in bewilderment. "The one who works at the clinic? That's a human healing place, right? And I know the asshole can sense reiatsu really well." Her eyes widened as she realized who Grimmjow was suggesting.

"Wait, you mean Ryuken?" That… was actually a good idea. Ryuken could certainly keep his mouth shut and there was absolutely no chance he would tell Soul Society about her predicament. Of course, he'd probably want to shoot Grimmjow on sight. "Wait, how did you meet him?" She asked apprehensively and Grimmjow laughed.

"Bastard sensed me when I got too close to the place and started stalking me. Then I started stalking him right back and we had a blast. At least, I did. He might be a bit sore about the burns." Grimmjow said so cheerfully Rukia had to laugh. There was no point in getting mad at him, he was what he was.

"I should probably see him without you." She said and his expression darkened. "Or at least, speak to him before you arrive. Why don't we do it like this? I'll speak to him and when he's agreed not to try and kill you, I'll pulse my reiatsu a little. Then you can join us."

"Alright." He growled and Rukia gave him a questioning look. "It's stupid. I just don't like letting you out of my sight now that I know you're knocked up. I need to protect you." That made her feel warm inside although he was right, it was a bit stupid. His presence put her in danger more than anything else.

"It will be fine." She promised him. Ryuken wouldn't hurt her. Refuse to help her, maybe, but he wouldn't attack a woman without provocation. Grimmjow nodded reluctantly and she felt it as he shielded his reiatsu even more than usual. It felt almost like she was travelling with a ghost, as they used shunpo and sonido to reach the clinic.

Ryuken had no life as far as Rukia knew, so the Quincy was there when she came in and tracked him down. The clinic was closed, of course, but he was busy doing paperwork.

"What do you want, shinigami?" He didn't even look up from the forms. Rukia might have been offended but it was better than an arrow in the face.

"I want your help." She said bluntly and he lifted his head with a frown. "You know the blue haired arrancar you fought recently?" She could see him tense slightly. Clearly he did remember Grimmjow, but then, it would be very hard not to. "I am pregnant with his child. I need you to examine me." That made him stare at her like he thought she'd lost her mind.

"Impossible. You are two different races." He put down his pen and stood up, frowning. Rukia shrugged.

"Arrancar have very shinigami like anatomy. Uryu proved that when he slashed Cirucci's chain of fate." She pointed out and Ryuken frowned. It made her wonder if his son had told him about that. They weren't exactly on the best of terms. "If their anatomy is close enough fertility could certainly be possible." It was actually more feasible than humans and shinigami, in many ways. They were both dead after all. Ryuken adjusted his glasses thoughtfully and she spoke again. "The Espada wants to be present for this." That was going to be the hard part. Sure enough, Ryuken gave her a flinty look.

"Absolutely not. That creature will not set foot in my clinic." His tone was hard as iron. But Rukia knew how to handle this.

"I'll just go to Isshin then." She said innocently and smiled to herself as Ryuken bristled at the thought. "I'm sure he's just as good at this as you are."

"That buffoon? Absolutely not!" Ryuken snapped. "…Very well. You can bring the Espada." He said grudgingly, as Rukia had known he would. "But if he steps out of line I will kill him."

"I'll keep him in line." She promised. Normally her hold on Grimmjow would be doubtful, but he was badly injured and she was pregnant. She was fairly certain he would listen to her at the moment. She concentrated a moment, pulsing her reiatsu twice, and there was a faint bang of sonido. Then Grimmjow was there, still favouring his leg. Ryuken looked him over, raising his eyebrows at all the bandages.

"Perhaps you could use some attention as well, arrancar." He said, to Rukia's surprise. But he was a doctor. In her experience, most healers couldn't stand to just watch someone in pain when they could do something about it. Grimmjow grunted, hovering over her protectively.

"Maybe later, Quincy. I'm more interested in the girl." He said and Ryuken nodded.

"Let's take this to an examination room then." They were currently in his office, a little shoebox of a room. He led them to another room and Rukia could almost taste the tension in the air. The two men did not trust each other at all and she gently squeezed Grimmjow's uninjured arm. His muscles felt hard as a rock under her hand.

Grimmjow leaned against a wall, watching intently as Ryuken examined her. His power was not the same as kido but it was close enough.

"The child has a solid reiatsu pulse." He said and Rukia nodded. That was only to be expected from the child of a shinigami, although she was still glad to hear it. "It's still very early but there is definitely a hollow component to the reiatsu." He said and Rukia winced, looking down. She'd been expecting that but it still wasn't pleasant to hear.

"D'you think it's going to stick?" Grimmjow asked, his voice low and strained. Ryuken glanced at him and he shrugged. "I mean, she's a shinigami. Her body is feeding the cub. D'you think it might vanish?"

"It's possible, but there's no way to tell." Ryuken gave her an assessing look. "Will you be keeping the pregnancy?" That question made Grimmjow growl but she shook her head at him before looking at the Quincy.

"Yes." She said, her decision firming. It was probably insane, but she wanted her child. However, she didn't want it to end up in Mayuri's clutches as a science experiment. Ryuken frowned but nodded.

"How long can you keep the pregnancy secret? We will have a much better idea of what the child will be in a few months." He asked and Rukia thought about it.

"I can probably hide it for two or three months. After that the effects on my reiatsu will become noticeable." She said and Grimmjow chuckled.

"Not to mention on your – ow!" She kicked him in the shin and he grimaced. "Watch the leg, girl." He complained and she snorted.

"That leg is fine. Why don't you sit down?" She asked and he grumbled a moment before finding a seat on a chair in the corner. He was still watching her like a hawk, though. Ryuken ignored the byplay, fixing his gaze on her.

"In two or three months we should have a much better idea of the nature of this child." He said and Rukia nodded. "Now, let me take a look at you." He turned his attention to Grimmjow, who bared his teeth in a warning snarl. "You look like something tried to maim you."

"Yeah, several somethings. Fine, but don't try anything funny." He warned and Ryuken just ignored him, his attention already on the wounds. He didn't unwrap them again, but he tested them with his powers and infused them with more healing than Rukia had been able to do. "…Thanks." Grimmjow said grudgingly and Rukia was certain he hardly ever thanked anyone for anything. "You gave me a good fight, Quincy. We should do it again sometime." That made Ryuken give him a look of disgust.

"I think not. Now get out of my clinic." He said briskly and Grimmjow just shrugged before pushing himself up. They both left the clinic and Rukia found she was a bit disappointed but not surprised. She'd hoped for more information but she hadn't expected it, this early into her pregnancy.

"We can raise this kid in Hueco Mundo, you know." Grimmjow said quietly and she stopped in shock at the thought. Was he serious?

"How? There's no food for me there. And that place would be so dangerous!" She's actually been more thinking of faking her death and hiding in the Living World. Grimmjow shrugged.

"Aizen left behind lots of tea biscuits and the water system in Los Noches still works. And you know how I can slip around. Wouldn't be any trouble for me to sneak into Soul Society or the Living World and steal some food for ya." He said and Rukia considered it. That could actually work, although she should still try to fake her death first. "As for danger, fuck that! The most dangerous thing in the sands is me." He said proudly and Rukia couldn't help but laugh. "Hey! What's so funny?"

"You still look like you were mauled by wild dogs." She pointed out and he scowled. "But when you're better, fine." Ichigo had won his fight with the Espada, but it had been a close thing. He could probably protect her and the child from the monsters of Hueco Mundo. And she would be able to protect herself, as well. "I'll think about it." It would mean leaving everyone behind. That would be incredibly painful. But whatever else happened, she would not let her child become Kurotsuchi's test subject.

"Well, I'm way too exhausted to fuck. So you can think about it, I'm gonna go taunt Kurosaki a bit before heading home. Later." Rukia blinked as the arrancar vanished in a burst of sonido and sighed, shaking her head. That was so like him, leaving all the thinking up to her.

It was probably better that way anyway. Grimmjow had a good mind, but he seemed determined not to use it.


	4. Fleeing the Consequences

"I hate doing this to them." Rukia murmured as Grimmjow bandaged her arm. They'd let out quite a lot of blood from it, leaving behind a very graphic trail of gore.

"No choice, shinigami." He said with a rough sort of sympathy. Rukia nodded and stepped back as he began the next part of their plan. She marvelled a bit as the Espada harnessed his powers and altered them, leaving behind a credible impression of Gillian energy.

That would explain her supposed death and the lack of remains. Gillian could be nasty and she would not be the first shinigami to fall to one. Of course, a fukutaichou usually wouldn't, but accidents could happen. That little ladybug had nearly killed her and it had been a basic hollow, although Grimmjow claimed it had likely been destined for vasto lorde. Apparently, tiny hollows were rare and incredibly dangerous. Rukia had never known that and none of the classes on hollows had mentioned it, which only underscored how rare they were.

"Think that's good?" Grimmjow finally asked and she evaluated the aura of the place. Rukia nodded. "Then let's go."

"Yes." Rukia sighed then squeaked as he picked her up. "Hey! I can walk myself!" She was just barely showing, she was certainly not helpless. Grimmjow just laughed.

"Yeah, but it'd be faster and easier this way. I control the garganta, so if I'm the only one moving I can slide down it faster than you can say spit." He explained and Rukia scowled. She wasn't entirely sure she believed him. He was getting absurdly protective lately. "I'll let you walk down it some other time. You'll see the difference."

"…Fine. Take me to Hueco Mundo." She finally growled and he laughed before ripping open a small garganta. It was the first time she'd actually seen him making a tiny one and she was astonished by how hard it was to sense. How many other arrancar were visiting the Living world?

She would never know so she just clung to his shoulders as he shot down the garganta. Grimmjow didn't waste any time, using sonido within the garganta. She had to hang on tightly as he danced off the walls, feeling the tunnel twist around them. It seemed he hadn't been lying about travelling his garganta more quickly by himself.

It still took a little while, though, and Rukia closed her eyes as she thought. It had been one month since she'd first seen Ryuken and her child was developing more quickly than she'd expected. All her hopes of pretending the father was a shinigami had gone out the window when the Quincy had told her the child was going to have a tail. Grimmjow was ridiculously proud of that and she couldn't help but smile as she thought of how he'd preened at the news.

But that news was also her death sentence if she stayed in Soul Society. So Grimmjow was taking her to his home, away in Los Noches. Rukia was curious to see if the place had changed at all.

It had, although not really in a good way. Grimmjow shot out of the garganta at breakneck speed before catching himself and slowing down slightly. Her hair blew around her face and it was difficult to see at first, but then Rukia got a good look at what had become of Los Noches.

The first thing she noticed was that the sun was gone. Los Noches had returned to eternal darkness, and it actually suited the place much better than the painful light had. The only thing she regretted about the darkness was being unable to see Grimmjow in all his glory. She normally met him at night, so she'd rarely seen the full colors of his brilliant blue hair and eyes.

The rest of Los Noches lay in ruins and Rukia swallowed as she surveyed the damage. It seemed like everything had been destroyed. How could she hope to stay here?

"My wing is pretty much okay." Grimmjow answered her unspoken question and she nodded dubiously. "Even got water. And if the water cuts off, I know where I can get it from. We'll be good on that."

"And food?" She asked, remembering the biscuits Grimmjow had fed her before. They had been delicious, but a steady diet of them… they wouldn't be nutritious for the baby. "How will you steal it? You can't just go smashing windows or someone will get suspicious." If there was a sudden rash of window smashing in the Living World, that would be a problem. Soul Society might actually be a bit easier but more dangerous. Grimmjow just shrugged.

"I'll work it out, don't you worry." He said and she had to be content with that. Besides, he could be very good at sneaking around when he wanted to. "Here, follow me." He gently set her down and Rukia followed close behind as he used sonido again.

Rukia wasn't sure what she'd been expecting of the Espada's rooms, but she was pleasantly surprised. There were pillows and cushions everywhere, many of them decorated with bright little tassels. There were two very plush sleeping mats on the floor, and more pillows and blankets over them. It seemed rather a lot for just one person, in fact.

"I put this together for you and the cub." Grimmjow sounded a little nervous and Rukia smiled, feeling touched. That was why there were so many pillows and blankets. He'd been creating a nest for them. "Is it good?"

"It's perfect." And it was. Oh, it wasn't as good as her quarters at the Kuchiki manor, but it was infinitely better than most of the places she'd lived in before then. It reminded her a little of the very best accommodations available in the Rukongai, or something modest in the Seireitei. It would be perfect for herself and the baby. "What… are these books?" There was a stack of something literary in the corner of the room. Rukia picked up a title and blinked. "Um…" This couldn't belong to Grimmjow. She refused to believe that he was into bodice ripper romances.

"I picked those up from Halibel's place, her fraccion had them." He said, completely oblivious to what she was thinking. "I don't read much but it gets boring around here. And they were girls, you're a girl, I figured they would be okay?" He asked and she nodded, a smile crossing her lips.

"Thank you." She'd read a few bodice rippers over the years. Her favored genre was mystery novels, but these would still do to keep her occupied. "Hm." She set the book back in place and began to explore the rest of the rooms. She was absolutely delighted to find a huge soaker tub and a very nice shower.

"Aizen wanted us to keep clean." Grimmjow explained, sitting on the edge of the tub as she began filling it with water. It was still heated, too, which was absolutely wonderful. "I swear, it was all Yammy's fault. The bastard had a stink like you wouldn't believe. It was pretty funny when Aizen first put the tubs in, though. It took me and Starrk almost an hour to get Ulquiorra in the water. Only illogical thing the bat ever did." Grimmjow grinned as he remembered it. "I guess bats don't usually swim."

"I imagine they wouldn't." Rukia agreed with a smile. "I wouldn't have thought cats did either." She said and Grimmjow laughed.

"You're thinking of housecats. Panthers and tigers both swim just fine. So, I was wondering. Would you like me to join you in there?" He said and she didn't have to think twice.

"I would love it. But no sex in the tub." She said warningly as he grinned. He lifted an eyebrow at her and she explained. "Women hate underwater sex. It washes away the lubrication and then things hurt." She'd talked to Matsumoto about it once and they'd both concluded it was a universal problem. He nodded, a thoughtful look crossing his face as she climbed into the tub. Then he scowled.

"Those bitches." He muttered and Rukia gave him a curious look. She was sure he wasn't referring to her. "The Numeros. Stupid whores. None of them ever told me that." He stood and started to strip. Rukia watched, enjoying the show. The lights were working so she could see him in all his glory.

"Did you have a lot of partners, back then?" She asked curiously. It didn't really bother her now. Los Noches was completely deserted, so she was sure he hadn't been straying when they were apart. Grimmjow shrugged slightly as he sank into the bathwater.

"Not that many. But sometimes my palm just wasn't enough, ya know? So I'd invite a girl over. But I knew they were trying too fucking hard to please me." Grimmjow sounded disgusted. "Afraid I'd blow their heads off if they didn't pant like a whore. As if I couldn't see through that shit." Rukia blinked at the thought. Wouldn't it bother Aizen, his Espada killing the Numeros? She asked and Grimmjow laughed. "Nah. Numeros are like playthings for the Espada and Privaron Espada. That's why the bitches were so desperate to get in my fraccion. If any of 'em had ever been honest with me, maybe I would have taken 'em. Oh well, blood on the sands." He sank into the water up to his neck, half-closing his eyes. Rukia smiled at the look of bliss on his face and just sat back, enjoying the water. The tub was large enough to hold three people so it was more than big enough for them.

They just enjoyed the water for a while, savoring the way it soothed away aches and pains. Rukia wasn't worried about overheating the baby. Hot tubs stayed warm but this water would cool. Then she looked at Grimmjow, watching as a few beads of water slipped down his toned chest, trailing down the scar Ichigo had given him. That sent a small jolt to her libido and she licked her lips before deciding to do something about it.

"Hm?" Grimmjow opened his eyes as she rested a hand on his chest, gently tracing the scar. The skin there felt different, bumpy and rough to her touch. She lowered her head and ran her tongue over it, enjoying the strange texture. "Hn!" Glancing up she saw that Grimmjow's head had fallen back, a blissful look on his face. "Shit, that feels good." He murmured and she chuckled softly before reaching down to touch another part of him. "Shit! You said… no sex?"

"No sex in the bathtub. We can always move it to the bedroom." Rukia reminded him and he grinned, his blue eyes bright with anticipation. "Let me explore you." She wanted to feel him under her hands, explore those hard muscles. His grin widened for a moment before he nodded.

"Go for it." He said and she needed no more encouragement. She trailed her hands over his abs, running her thumb along the edge of his hollow hole. That made him stiffen with a small groan and she enjoyed the lustful expression on his. It didn't take long before she wanted more, and could tell he did too. Smiling devilishly she whispered in his ear.

"Sit on the edge of the tub." The soaker tub had wide edges, more than wide enough for that. Grimmjow quirked an eyebrow at her but obeyed then gasped as she blew teasingly on his erect member. Rukia smiled before taking him in her mouth, savoring the ragged sound he made as she slowly ran her tongue over that hard, trembling flesh. She didn't think she was the best in the world at blowjobs, but she had some experience. From the soft groan he made, it was enough.

"Shit yes… Rukia…" She loved the way he moaned her name and increased the suction, reaching between his legs to play with his sac. She gently cupped the heavy flesh, bouncing them in the palm of her hand. "Yeah… uh…" She could hear his breath coming quicker, feel the urgent pulsing of the organ in her mouth. She put a hand on his belly then took him as deep into her mouth as she could. Rukia managed to keep her throat open and accepting and her reward was a sound from him like nothing she'd ever heard before. Then he stiffened and she felt his balls tighten in her hand. "Rukia!" He cried her name as he came and she swallowed it all. It went down as easily as an oyster and she couldn't taste much of anything, with him that far back in her throat. Pulling away she wiped her lips, breathing a bit heavily. He was staring at her with intense blue eyes. "That was fucking wonderful. But now…" She squeaked as he suddenly slid into the tub and grabbed her hips. In one swift movement she was the one sitting on the edge of the tub. "It's my turn."

He nuzzled her wet skin and Rukia gasped as a slightly rough tongue lapped away beads of water. He slowly swiped her navel with that tongue and she trembled as he dipped into her bellybutton, finding the water there. Then he slowly made his way down, pausing to nuzzle her thighs and tease the sensitive skin there. Rukia never got tired of that rasping tongue. It was almost catlike, but a bit softer, a bit easier on her skin.

Then he went for her clit and Rukia arched as warm lips closed over it, teasing that sensitive spot. He knew what she liked and even as he sucked on her, his fingers slid between her folds, filling her vagina with heat. Rukia rocked her hips into those questing fingers, feeling her juices flowing freely. This feral, dangerous man was kneeling between her thighs and returning the pleasure she had given him. What could be more sexy than that?

Nothing, and Rukia just enjoyed the moment, half-closing her eyes as she gripped his shoulders. Her breathing came faster and faster until a particularly deft suck took her over the edge. Her insides clamped down hard on his fingers and Rukia cried out as the pleasure overwhelmed her. Grimmjow waited until her orgasm was complete before drawing away, a shit eating grin on his face.

"Was that good for you, shinigami?" He asked and she laughed, feeling tired and almost boneless. He pushed himself up and she clung to his shoulders as he lifted her up and out of the tub. "I'm putting you to bed, Rukia." The way he said her name was full of warmth and she smiled, letting him carry her to the nest.

It might be insane, but she felt like she'd made the right decision in coming here.


	5. Desgarrion

"God damn it." Grimmjow grunted as he played with the lock on the window of the grocery store. It was in the back storage room, meant to ventilate the place, and was much too high for any human to reach without a ladder. He'd just walked through the walls to get inside and now he was floating on air while he fiddled with it. "Ah." It finally popped open with a squeak of hinges and the arrancar winced a bit at the sound. But the place was mostly deserted, aside from a few night shift people doing stocking. He would have to be careful to avoid them when he started to take stuff.

"Time to be a fucking adult. No more picking fights with Kurosaki. No pissing off the local shinigami for fun." He grumbled to himself as he started stealing things. The ovens in Los Noches didn't work and there was a serious dearth of anything flammable, so cans were his friend. Rukia had specifically requested tinned sardines so he loaded up on those. The refrigerators didn't work either so tinned and pickled fruits and veggies were on the list. "No fighting with the Quincy. Be res-pon-si-ble like a fuckin' adult." Grimmjow grinned to himself as he remembered Rukia's little lecture. It had been cute as hell and he'd finally ended it with a kiss.

He was taking a lot of shit from her but it didn't bother him a bit. He knew exactly why. No human could understand it, with their higher rates of conception, but shinigami could come close. Children were rare for them too.

Grimmjow knew how the cycle of life worked. When shinigami died their souls went for rebirth in the Living World. They lived and died there, mostly living as completely normal human beings. Then they passed back into Soul Society and generally rediscovered their power, becoming shinigami again. Born shinigami were much rarer. It was said that they were new souls, manufactured from the shattered bits and pieces of corrupted souls.

It was similar for hollows. They were made up of those shattered pieces, and once in a rare while they combined in just the right way to form new life. Natural born hollows were rare and had many special properties. They had no hole and never had to fear regression, since the souls that made them were stable. Most were born Vasto Lorde and Grimmjow was delighted by the thought. His child might be stronger than him, although he didn't know how having a shinigami mother would affect it.

Searching through the personal hygiene section he found some pink disposable razors. This vendetta against body hair was rather confusing to him. What did it matter if she had hair on her legs? When he'd asked she'd kicked him and said no lady felt beautiful with hair on her legs.

"I wish I could grow a beard." Grimmjow muttered as he finally got everything together. Getting the bags out the window was fun, but fortunately cans were durable. Another point in their favor. "I'd love to look like Starrk, lucky bastard." Their appearances had been completely fixed in the moment their masks had broken. That was nice in a way – his hair was completely natural and needed no styling – but it meant they were stuck with what they got. Grimmjow couldn't grow a beard and it ticked him off a little sometimes. "Oh well." Ducking into an alleyway he quickly tore open the garganta and made himself scarce.

If he couldn't start some shit with Kurosaki, there was no point in hanging around.

* * *

Grimmjow and Rukia had done their work well, but there were complications.

Grimmjow was good at altering his energy signature. That was an ability that was very useful when it came to stalking prey, and he'd been a wonderful hunter as an adjuchas. But it had sharp limits. The falsified energy only had to be good enough to fool another adjuchas or vasto lorde. It didn't take into account people like Kisuke Urahara. Rukia had known that, but she'd decided he would likely just check the blood to make sure it was hers. And she would have been right, but she hadn't reckoned on her brother's thirst for revenge.

"Hmm." Kisuke examined the samples carefully. Byakuya had demanded that everything about Rukia's death be examined and since he was still in the Living world, the duty had fallen to him. He hadn't expected to find anything interesting but the reiatsu on the blood was actually quite unusual. At first it had seemed to be a very powerful Gillian. But now he was getting a completely different picture. "Fascinating." He began unraveling the strands of reiatsu and comparing them with every sample he had in his databanks.

Grimmjow had left samples of his reiatsu all over Karakura town, mostly in the form of blood and ceros. So it didn't take Kisuke long to find the answer. But that answer only created more questions.

"Why?" He murmured, gazing away thoughtfully. Certainly, the Espada had tried to kill Rukia before, but it had been a perfunctory sort of thing. He'd just been getting her out of the way and hadn't really cared what became of her either way. Why would he hunt her down like this? And why would he pretend to be something he wasn't, and very effectively too? Kisuke frowned. The amount of blood on the ground hadn't really been that much. A Gillian would have swallowed it, so that had been consistent with the presumed cause of death. Now, however, it was suggesting something else to him. "Could she be alive?" If so Byakuya would be keenly interested. Not to mention Ichigo. And even if she wasn't, they would both want to speak to a certain Espada. Kisuke smiled cheerfully as he began readying his garganta generator.

It would be getting quite a bit of use very soon.

* * *

"You look great." Grimmjow eyed her swelling belly and Rukia almost blushed at the possessive pride in his voice.

It was remarkable, really. She knew from some things she'd overheard in both Soul Society and the Living World that men could become less attracted to their pregnant wives. For Grimmjow it seemed to be the opposite. He wanted to touch her all the time, feel the life growing inside her. And those touches always turned into something more.

For Rukia, that was more than welcome. She'd found the pregnancy had increased her sex drive considerably. It also made her moody and sometimes irrational, but Grimmjow handled her rages well. Often they sparred, working out her frustrations on the sands. Nothing dared interrupt them. Aside from Grimmjow, Los Noches was completely deserted and Rukia wondered why. Where had all the numeros gone and why hadn't they come back?

That thought vanished as Grimmjow stole a bit of her food. She grabbed the plate and glared at him, shielding it protectively.

"Hey!" She protested as he laughed. Then he got a funny look on his face and gagged before spitting a wad of something out on the table. "Eww!"

"Chicken bone." He said sheepishly before picking it up and tossing it away. Rukia shook her head before carefully shredding a bit of the chicken. The bones were very annoying but she was getting used to them.

"It's your fault for finding a whole canned chicken. I didn't even know they existed." It sounded like some sort of bizarre abomination but it actually wasn't that bad. It would have been better cooked into a hash, but Grimmjow's attempts at using a tightly controlled cero for cooking had melted the pan. Kido had been even worse. Rukia was finding that her control of her reiatsu was fluctuating as her pregnancy progressed. She wasn't helpless, far from it, but delicate uses of kido were beyond her. "I'm sure the bones are healthy." She said optimistically. They were mostly soft and broke apart easily, so choking was hardly a real hazard. They were a bit unpleasant though. Grimmjow made a face as he looked at her food.

"You're sure this is okay for you?" He asked and Rukia nodded. It might all be canned but there was plenty of it and she'd had worse in the Rukongai. Fresh food would be better but this should nourish her and the child well enough.

"I'll be – what's that?" She asked, distracted by the sudden burst of reiatsu. Grimmjow sat bolt upright, his head cocked to one side and blue eyes narrowed.

"Shinigami." He muttered and Rukia felt her heart seize. Had they somehow found out she was alive? Or were they here for something else entirely. "Kurosaki-fucking-Ichigo." He snarled and Rukia swallowed as she recognized another reiatsu.

"My brother. Oh no." She swallowed hard, feeling Quincy power as well. "Ishida. Chad… oh no, it's all of them." Violet eyes met blue and Grimmjow's expression was grim. Rukia felt sick. "Can we run?" She asked without much hope and Grimmjow shook his head.

"Kurosaki can keep up with me and your brother took down Zommari, from what I heard. He was supposed to be the fastest Espada." Grimmjow stood up, stretched for a moment and then grinned. "This'll be the fight of a lifetime." Rukia couldn't help but gape at him. Fight of a lifetime?

"Grimmjow! Now is hardly the time for – mph!" She gripped his wrist as his hand landed firmly over her mouth. He'd never done that to her before and she glared at him but he just looked at her with that familiar grin.

"Shh. Shh girl, listen." His tone was playful but with a serious undercurrent. "Here's what you need to do. After I'm dead, tell them that I raped you." Her eyes went wide in disbelief. "And when I found out you were knocked up I kidnapped you and took you here. You got it?" He let go of her face and it took her a moment to find her voice.

"Are you insane? You can't just get yourself killed like that!" Rukia snarled at him and his grin faded, turning into a crooked smile. "Our baby needs you!" She dropped her hand to her stomach, cupping the bulge there protectively. Her child would need his or her father, even if he was more than a bit insane. Grimmjow sighed then knelt down beside her, resting a hand over hers.

"Our baby needs to live." He brushed a kiss on that gentle swell and Rukia had to hold back tears. "If they know you've been sleeping with a hollow and went AWOL, they won't listen to a thing you have to say. If you can convince them you're traumatized and you need this baby to stay sane, maybe they'll let you have a say in things. It's not a good hope, but it's all we've got." He was so calm and she knew that death didn't frighten him at all. But the way he cupped her belly said he was afraid for the tiny life growing there. "Do it for the baby, Rukia."

"You…" Emotions suddenly choked her and she gripped his shoulders, hugging him tightly. The mask fragments on his cheek dug into the side of her neck but she didn't care. "I love you." It was the first time she'd said that to him. Their relationship had always been more about lust than love. But she felt that way now. He was more than just a hollow, more than a ravenous beast. He had a heart, even if it was fractured and torn by the pain of what he'd become. A big hand settled on her back, gently rubbing circles into her skin.

"I love you too Rukia." Grimmjow breathed in her ear and she had to hold back a sob. This was how they would declare their feelings for each other? "Now I gotta get going. They're coming closer." He drew back and grinned wickedly. "Need to make 'em work for it or they'll suspect something."

"Bullshit. You'll be enjoying every minute of it." Rukia snapped at him and he laughed. She reached up and rubbed her eyes before giving him a weak smile. "Good luck, you insane idiot." This was the kind of goodbye he would want, a bit of friendly sniping. And it felt good for her, too.

"Yeah? Well good luck to you too, midget." Then he vanished in a bang of sonido and Rukia stared out the door after him, straining her senses. Ichigo and the others were rapidly closing in.

There was nothing she could do but wait.

* * *

"Hey Kursoaki! You promised me a duel. Why are you bringing a bunch of fuckwits to help you? Too weak to take on the King?" Grimmjow taunted his favorite enemy, grinning at the fury and determination in those brown eyes.

"Where is Rukia you bastard?" Kurosaki snarled and the arrancar's grin widened. He said he hated Kurosaki's eyes, and he did, but he also loved them. They screamed that he was about to get a good battle in.

"The girl? She's around and better off than you're going to be, Kurosaki!" He gripped his blade. The others were coming in closely, he didn't have much time to get a few good hits in. "Grind, Pantera!" His resurrection exploded around him and he launched himself at Kurosaki, who immediately yanked on his mask.

It was beautiful. The clash of steel on claws, the wind whipping around them as they blazed a path through the air. So fucking gorgeous. Nothing could compare to the thrill of battle against his favorite enemy, except maybe being with Rukia.

Then, of course, his fucking friends had to ruin it. Arrows and petals and retarded snake things, oh my! Grimmjow grunted in pain as an arrow skimmed his arm. That fucking Quincy was annoying the hell out of him. He tossed off a cero in that direction, but not too precisely. He did owe his father something and the old man probably wouldn't want his son fried. Then he turned his fury on the second redhead.

"You fuckers! What are you doing interrupting my fight?!" He snarled before landing on the long bone of the snake. It tried to coil down to catch him but he skidded down it neatly before landing a boot right in the shinigami's face. "HAH – SHIT!" That was when a wave of petals caught up with him, knocking him off the snake. Fortunately that caused Kurosaki's strike to miss and nearly decapitate the red pineapple, to his brief amusement. Brief because those petals sent him down into the sands and they _hurt._ "MOTHERFUCKERS!" Snarling he gathered up his blood and used it to fire off a Gran Rey cero at Rukia's brother. He was a fucking taichou, Grimmjow wasn't going to hold back on him.

It was unnecessary anyway. He was fighting against three taichou class shinigami and a fucking Quincy. After the third time he was put down, he knew it was now or never. Heaving himself to his feet he shook his head, sending blood flying out of his eyes. Then he concentrated, picking Kurosaki for his final attack as he flew into the air.

"Desgarrion." He unleashed his claws, just like last time. He drilled them into Kurosaki's sword, watching his mask shatter under the pressure of his reishi claws and reiatsu. Grimmjow laughed wildly, not caring about the others. They were nothing. There was only him and his favorite enemy in this moment of time.

But of course, that wasn't really true. Pain took him as a blade went through his weakened hierro, and desgarrion shattered as he looked down at the sword impaling him. A drop of blood gathered on the tip before dripping down onto the sands. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, feeling one of his lungs collapsing. But the shinigami had missed his heart. It could be a fatal wound, but it wasn't immediate, and he managed a pained laugh. Couldn't they even kill him right?

Then the blade was pulled roughly out of his body and Grimmjow fell out of the sky. There was no Kurosaki to catch him this time and it didn't really matter anyway. He rolled down a sand dune before coming to a halt against another. Grimmjow felt his resurrection vanish, felt the comforting weight of Pantera in his palm.

_Take care of the cub, girl._ He smiled briefly as his hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. He couldn't lift it, but it was still good to have. He would die how he had lived, a warrior to the end. He was vaguely aware of a shadow falling over him, but it didn't matter. _Love you both._

Then he slipped away into darkness.


	6. Trials and Sleeping in Strange Places

Rukia was still in her room when Orihime and Chad arrived.

"Rukia! We're here to rescue you!" Orihime's golden shield immediately came around her as the young woman began checking her for injuries to heal. Chad glanced around the room, looking for any threats. Rukia winced a little as Orihime's eyes went wide. Her shield could undoubtedly detect the pregnancy, but she was showing anyway. "Wait… you're…?"

"Yes." She said in a clipped tone before reaching out and shattering the golden shield. "I'm fine. Where is Grimmjow?" Rukia kept her tone as emotionless as possible. She wasn't sure she could feign being traumatized, but simply suppressing her emotions would do. A noble did not show such things. Orihime looked stunned.

"He's… he's out fighting with everyone else." She said and Rukia nodded. She could feel the repeated reiatsu clashes.

"Let's go." The pain in her heart was huge as they left Grimmjow's wing of Los Noches. The clashing reiatsu was almost suffocating and she could sense it when that familiar, beloved power began to fade. Soon she could hardly sense it at all.

But it was still there. Rukia's heart jumped as she saw Ichigo kneeling beside Grimmjow, gently touching the fallen Espada's shoulder. Grimmjow was a horrible mess, blood splattering the sand underneath him and dripping from the corner of his mouth. There was blood on his face and in his hair, but he was still alive.

"Orihime, heal him!" She said with all the command of a Kuchiki noble and the girl obeyed automatically. Renji gave her a startled look and her brother gave her an unreadable glance. Ichigo looked up and backed away as Orihime's golden shield enfolded the Espada. Then his eyes widened as he saw his old friend.

"Rukia!" She squeaked as Ichigo had a good try at crushing her. Fortunately he wasn't suffocating her this time, at least… no, that had been Renji. "Let go of me!" She squirmed and he finally let go, only to be replaced by Renji. And he DID try to suffocate her. She immediately bit him and he let go with a girlish scream.

"OW! What was that for?" He asked, rubbing his chest and wincing. It was just a bruise, but it hurt. Rukia scowled at him, completely unimpressed.

"I need to breathe, idiot!" She snapped and noticed Ichigo looking at her oddly. Then the teen spoke up.

"What was he feeding you? You're looking kind of pudgy." The orange haired teen said and Uryuu adjusted his glasses, looking pained. Byakuya was looking at her belly too but Rukia was too caught up in her sudden rage to care.

"BAKA!" She kicked him in the shin and Ichigo folded up with a yelp. "Don't you have any eyes?! Don't you know a pregnant woman when you see one?"

"Wait, what?" Renji said and Rukia blushed as she realized that absolutely everyone was staring at her now. Even Orihime was looking up from the healing shield. "…I'm going to kill that fucker!" Renji's voice turned into a dark, angry growl as his hand tightened on Zabimaru's hilt. Ichigo blinked and he looked rather adorably confused.

"You will not!" Rukia snapped then bit her lip as she glanced down at the Espada. She knew what Grimmjow would want her to say. She knew, but… she couldn't, not like this. They would kill him instantly if she told the lie he'd given her. "He is the father of my child." She said instead, raising her chin resolutely. She would face this with dignity and grace, as befitting a noble. Byakuya closed his eyes for a moment and Rukia could almost see him figuring things out. Uryu was also getting it, from the look on his face. The others were still not getting it.

"Rukia… did he…" Renji's voice was choked with emotion and Rukia knew why. They were both no strangers to rape, although they'd managed to avoid suffering it. But they'd seen it before, and the aftermath. Rukia shook her head.

"No. It was consensual." Even the very first time, it had been consensual. She could have poked him in the balls if she'd really wanted him off. He'd been wide open at the time. The blood drained from Renji's face and she could see he was putting things together, too. Ichigo was still a bit behind but he was getting there.

"…That's illegal, isn't it? I mean, he's a hollow and an enemy." He said tentatively, looking down at Grimmjow. Orihime had finished healing him but deliberately left him unconscious, which Byakuya quickly reinforced with a sleep kido.

"It's worse than that. She faked her death to run away from the Divisions and come here. Rukia, how could you?" Renji whispered and Rukia bristled.

"My baby is going to have a tail!" She snapped and the redhead blinked as Byakuya closed his eyes again. "I can't hide the father, and I will not have Kurotsuchi using my baby in some twisted science experiment! How did you find me?" She asked and it was her brother who answered.

"I asked Kisuke to investigate the circumstances of your death. He penetrated your ruse quickly enough." Rukia met his eyes and his looked tired and sad. "You will have to return to Soul Society for your trial."

"Another one?! But Grimmjow isn't technically an enemy anymore, right? I mean Aizen's in jail!" Ichigo pointed out and Rukia made a mental note of that argument. She didn't think it would cut much ice, though, since… Renji put it into words for her.

"He's still a hollow and an Espada. Damn, Rukia. I thought I broke the rules a few times, but you…" Renji shook his head and Rukia blushed. He was right. He broke the rules all the time in small ways, but when she broke them they were real humdingers.

"I know." Then she turned back to Byakuya, squaring her shoulders. "Nii-san, promise me that you'll do what you can to protect this baby. Promise me you'll try to give him or her the protection of the Kuchiki clan." That was the best hope for her baby now. She would be stripped of her noble status, disgraced, but that did not necessarily mean the child would be. Byakuya hesitated before nodding.

"I will do everything I can to put this child under the protection of the Kuchiki clan." He promised and Rukia nodded, glancing down at Grimmjow. They might both be doomed, but their child would have some small hope.

It was all they had.

* * *

Grimmjow woke up in considerable pain and chained to a wall.

He was woozy at first. For a few moments, he thought he was in Los Noches and had done something to piss Aizen off. This had to be one of the punishment rooms. Probably Gin or Szayel would be showing up any time now to show him the error of his ways…

Then reality reasserted itself and he jerked in his chains, forcing his eyes open. They were gummy with dried blood but he needed to see.

"Shit!" He spat out as he saw the very clean cell with the bars in front of him. He could feel the seki-seki stone around his neck and clamped to his wrists. He was going nowhere fast, in this getup. "Fucking shinigami. Don't they know how to kill a man?" Grimmjow grumbled, feeling a bit of fear in his heart. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. What had Rukia done when she saw he wasn't dead?

"Ah, you're awake." An unfamiliar voice said and Grimmjow snarled at the shinigami on the other side of the bars. He just blew a bit of cigarette smoke into the cell, making the arrancar wrinkle his nose. He couldn't imagine why anyone would voluntarily suck those things. "Hang on while I notify Abarai-san."

"Like I got much choice." He groused as the shinigami sauntered away. "Hmph." He wondered what the red freak wanted with him. Fear nipped at his heart again as he thought about Rukia.

That fear got worse as the redhead with the tattoos showed up. Rukia was behind him, wearing a red collar with a digital panel set in it. Grimmjow snarled to himself as he saw it. His own restraints were cruder but probably more effective. To him, the collar Rukia was wearing seemed like something that was meant to restrain her power without affecting the baby. The unknown shinigami opened the door to his cell and ushered them inside.

"She wanted to see you, arrancar." Renji said, his voice full of resentment and hostility. Grimmjow feigned indifference.

"Can't imagine why. She was just a good fuck." He said cruelly. Renji's face darkened but Rukia just smiled and shook her head.

"You don't have to pretend. I told them everything." She said and Grimmjow froze for a moment before snarling.

"Damn it girl! I told you what to say. Why didn't you say it?!" He snapped at her and Rukia scowled at him.

"You weren't dead! You were supposed to be dead! My brother was standing beside you with his sword out, he'd have taken your head off if I'd said that you raped me!" She snapped right back and Grimmjow wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her.

"Well, I'm sorry, but your fucking friends didn't get the memo – urk!" Rukia actually leapt up and managed to plant her elbow onto the top of his head. But she was a lot shorter than him so that jerked him down, straining his arms against the chains.

"How many times do I have to tell you to clean. Up. Your. Language!" She punctuated each word by grinding her elbow in and he made a whimpering sound before realizing what he'd done. Grimmjow's eyes narrowed and he glanced at the redhead as she finally let up, pulling her arm off his head. He was staring at them wide eyed, his hostility replaced with disbelief.

"If you tell anyone about this I'm going to clean your clock, shinigami." Grimmjow threatened before turning his attention back to a glowering Rukia. "The sh… stuff I take from my woman." He corrected himself as she cocked back a fist. "Girl, what's going to happen to you?" His anxiety softened her attitude and Rukia gave him a small smile before gently hugging him.

"I don't know Grimm. But my brother has promised to do everything he can for our baby, and give him or her the protection of the Kuchiki clan." She said quietly and Grimmjow felt a bit of relief. It might not be much but it was something. "We're both going to be put on trial. You for your crimes under Aizen, and me for having intercourse with an enemy and leaving the Division without permission." That was all pretty much expected but unpleasant to hear.

"Crimes? What crimes? Beating the shit out of Kurosaki?" Grimmjow groused. "You told me that dude from the Eleventh beats the shit out of him all the time, I don't see what's the big deal." There was a choking sound from the redhead but Grimmjow ignored him and smiled as Rukia laughed. He loved the sound of her laughter. "And if I get out of here I'm gonna do it again." He badly wanted another rematch with his favourite enemy. The last one hadn't been fair at all.

"You are a vicious beast." Rukia said fondly before hugging him again. Grimmjow smiled at the way she barely came up to his chest. "I can't stay long. I just wanted you to know what's happening."

"Yeah, thanks." It was good to know. At least he wouldn't have to pretend to not care about her, since the shinigami knew better. Grimmjow watched them leave the cell and wasn't sure what to make of it when the redhead gave him a wondering look. Was he surprised to see the Espada had a soft spot for his girl? Probably.

Shinigami would never believe that hollows were capable of things like love.

* * *

From Grimmjow's perspective, the next few weeks were a complete drag.

That guy with the cigarettes turned out to be named Akon. Apparently, he was being kept at the Twelfth but the scientist freaks were under strict orders to not alter him in any way. That still left plenty of tests they could run and plenty of samples they could take, which they did with way too much enthusiasm. Grimmjow wondered what would happen if they decided to execute him. Would he be given konso or would he just be handed over to these freaks?

Then the trials started. Most of the time, Grimmjow didn't really know what was going on. It was a long, drawn out process where points of law were argued and he was simply bored out of his mind. He was silent, not because he wanted to be but because they kept a silencing kido on him like a gag. He was chained up, too, and he sometimes wondered why he was there. It wasn't like they wanted his input.

But he was slightly wrong about that. To his surprise, he was finally given a chance to talk. The kido was removed, but Grimmjow didn't take the opportunity right away. He looked at the guy facing him – not a shinigami, something called a lawyer? – and lifted an eyebrow questioningly.

"Do you have anything to say in your defence, arrancar?" He asked and Grimmjow thought about it for a moment before giving a one-shoulder shrug.

"Not really. If falling in love is a crime, I'm guilty as sin." He said cheerfully. He refused to take this shit too seriously, even if it was serious as death. The guy questioning him looked very unamused by his response.

"You claim that your kind is capable of love, arrancar?" He asked skeptically and Grimmjow's lip curled. That was just insulting.

"I _know_ we're capable of love, lawyer." Grimmjow snapped back and the guy looked vaguely offended. He had no idea what else to call him, though. He hadn't caught the dumbasses' name. "You should have seen Starrk and Lilynette. The wolf put up with such shit from her!" Although that might not be the best comparison. They had been halves of a whole, after all. "When hollows reach adjuchas we gain the instinct to mate and breed." He growled and the lawyer began quizzing him about it.

"Mating and breeding are not love, arrancar. How do you know that you can feel that emotion?" He asked and Grimmjow shrugged.

"I dunno. Define love to me and maybe I'll tell ya. But love is hard to define, isn't it? I just know that if anyone hurt my girl, I'd rip them to fucking shreds." He said with relish and didn't care at the soft rustlings of the watchers. He was what he was, he couldn't be anything else. The guy talking to him decided to change his topic a bit.

"How did you remain undetected in the Living World, arrancar?" He asked and Grimmjow shrugged. He didn't particularly care if they knew, now. He was almost certainly going to die, so what did it matter to him?

"I'm a master of stealth." He answered and the man gave him a very skeptical look. "What, you think I just blow the shit out of everything that crosses my path? You don't get many meals that way, lawyer."

"My name is Sabuto." He said stiffly and Grimmjow made a note of it. Apparently he really disliked being called lawyer. Was it an insult, calling someone by their profession? "What do you mean? Please explain."

"Huh?" That threw him for a moment before he remembered he was dealing with shinigami. They were ignorant as dog dirt when it came to hollows. "Hollows get stronger by eating each other, Sabuto. If you just cero the fuck out of enemies, they just break up and you can't eat 'em. You need to catch your opponent the right way. And when you're as strong as me, you gotta hide your reiatsu or everything that's worth catching will run away. And those fuckers can run like pretty damned fast. Chasing the rats down is just a damned nuisance. So you learn to hide, and I am a fucking master at it. I might be the Espada of Destruction, but I was a hunter first." He let his pride show. He was very proud of his hunting prowess, always had been.

"Can other arrancar hide themselves this way?" An excellent question and if Grimmjow had given a flying fuck about his fellow arrancar, he might have refused to answer. But he didn't really give a crap about them so he answered.

"Everyone can. And if you're wondering if other arrancar are visiting the Living World, I'll tell ya, they probably are. Probably stealing some pizza and some better threads than Aizen's shit." He said as the lawyer gave him a glare. "I stole these pants with glittery stuff on the butt but Rukia wouldn't wear 'em." Glancing over, he could see Rukia giving him a death glare. If they actually survived he was going to pay for that one. He gave her a wicked grin and she actually blushed a little before glowering at him even more fiercely. He loved that look on her face.

There were a lot more questions, mostly about his abilities and what other arrancar could do. Grimmjow kept answering truthfully because he just didn't care. Then the kido gag was put back on him and the scientist fucker in the gold jewelry came out to give a presentation. It didn't take him long to realize it was a lecture on arrancar anatomy and that was just boring as fuck. He knew all about that subject, from the perspective of tearing people who annoyed him to pieces. He didn't need a lesson on it.

So Grimmjow closed his eyes. He'd just rest his eyes for a moment. Yeah… just rest them…

* * *

"I am going to kill him." Rukia muttered to herself as she looked at her mate. Admittedly, Kurotsuchi's lecture had to be very dull for him. But did he have to fall asleep in the middle of court when their fate was being decided?!

Apparently, he did. Grimmjow's chin was on his chest and there was a thin line of drool going down his chin. He was obviously very deeply asleep and Rukia sighed to herself, wondering how well he'd been sleeping lately. But then, Kenpachi was asleep too. She glanced at the taichou of the Eleventh. He was at this trial for a purpose and if they were lucky he would be needed. He'd taken a seat that allowed him to lean against the wall, and right now he was snoring like a log saw. People had migrated away from him, leaving several cleared seats nearby. Yachiru was asleep on his shoulder, while Ikkaku and Yumichika were both wide awake and playing the parts of responsible adults. Rukia was certain they would kick Zaraki awake as soon as his turn to play came.

Of course, there was no guarantee the plans her brother had come up with would reach fruition. In fact, Rukia was rather doubtful they would. But there was some hope. She hadn't realized it, but they really couldn't have done this at a better time. With the old Central 46 slaughtered and discredited, the new embodiment – which had been reduced to a more manageable seventeen members – wanted to be a kinder, gentler organization. Not entirely, of course – there was a time for harshness – but they wanted to move away from draconian sentences. So maybe, just maybe they had a chance.

Mayuri's presentation seemed to be helping. He was giving them a dissertation on arrancar biology and how it compared to shinigami. It was very favorable, really. It seemed they were very similar, so similar that Grimmjow's zanpakuto even had a personality like a real zanpakuto. Of course, there were differences. His zanpakuto didn't function like a real zanpakuto, although Mayuri thought it might be possible to change that. Rukia blinked at the thought. What would that do to Grimmjow, though? Kurotsuchi seemed to be delighted at the prospect.

There were some very crucial differences, though. Rukia listened as Mayuri explained that arrancar were still hollows and still had many hollow instincts. But the sheer complexity of their soul collections let them overcome the real disability of being a hollow… the lack of a heart. The complexity of their souls let them relearn emotions and experience things almost like a human or shinigami would.

"Can this arrancar truly feel love?" Someone asked and Mayuri paused before shrugging.

"What is love? An instinct, a hormonal reaction? If so, yes, he can most definitely experience it. He was right, love is such a hard thing to define… I've never personally experienced it so it's difficult for me to say." Rukia shuddered a bit at the thought of Kurotsuchi in love. Would the Seireitei remain standing? Although she really wasn't certain the odd man would be capable of such an emotion.

The presentation finally came to a close and Saburo-san gave his closing remarks. This wasn't like a trial in the Living World, where both sides got their own lawyers. It was his job to bring forth all the information so the true judges to contemplate it, but not make arguments. So he simply stated the facts as he'd found them.

However, she did have a representative. She was still a noble at this moment and he was a representative of the Kuchiki clan. The new Central had to listen to him but he bowed politely as he took his place.

"I am Nagamura Yoshi, representing the Kuchiki clan." He announced and there was a small stirring in the stands. "I ask to be allowed to speak on behalf of the accused."

"Permisssion granted." An old voice rumbled from the darkness. Just like before, they could not see the faces of the Central judges. Rukia glanced over and was relieved to see that Grimmjow was awake. Yumichika had just elbowed Kenpachi awake, too.

"We beg you to have mercy on our erring clan member. It may seem insane that such a forbidden love can exist, but we feel that her pregnancy is proof that this man – " He gestured towards Grimmjow, who looked at him alertly with bright blue eyes. "Is more shinigami than not. We have spoken with the Gotei 13, and in particular Kenpachi taichou. He has consented to accept this man into his Division." There was a brief, stunned silence. Then the whispers started. Zaraki stood up, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck. Then he gave everyone a very nasty grin.

"Yeah, I'll take him. I want to see what kind of fight he can give me!" He smirked at Grimmjow, who grinned right back and tried to say something. The silencing kido defeated him and he scowled, but then it was removed for a moment.

"I'll give you the best fight of your life, shinigami!" Grimmjow said arrogantly and Kenpachi's grin widened, if possible. "Count on it!"

"That's what I like to hear." Kenpachi said with a laugh before taking his seat again. The kido gag went back on Grimmjow, who kept shooting Zaraki glances. Rukia could see the lust for battle in bright blue eyes and sighed to herself. She was going to be patching him up for years, if this worked.

Rukia didn't really listen to the rest of her advocate's arguments, just gazing at Grimmjow. He seemed to feel her eyes on him, and turned to meet her gaze. Soon, they would hear the final verdict on their fate, and the fate of their unborn child.

All they could do was wait.


	7. Setting Up Shop

Author's Note: I am currently drowning in overtime... which means TONS of money, so I'm not complaining. But updates will be rather sporadic, sorry!

* * *

Rukia stood as the final verdict was read. Grimmjow stood as well and listened intently. Not because he was concerned for himself, she was sure, but for her and the baby.

"We have decided to be merciful." An old voice rumbled from the shadows, which did not comfort Rukia a bit. That could simply mean a quick death. "You and your race will be given a chance, arrancar. You belong to Kenpachi taichou now, and you may take a residence in either the Seireitei or the Rukongai. After a year of good behavior we will consider the matter of your permanent citizenship. This is a great responsibility. You are an ambassador of your race." Rukia had to suppress a hysterical giggle. An ambassador? Grimmjow? That was like expecting a fish to sing. "As for the matter of Kuchiki Rukia's desertion, that is a matter for the Gotei 13. We leave it to them to decide what punishments are merited." Rukia blinked at that. The old Central 46 would not have hesitated to make a ruling that infringed on the Gotei 13.

Rukia looked at Grimmjow, who gave her a toothy grin. The Kuchiki advocate thanked the new Central for their wisdom, but she had eyes only for him. Her mind marveled at the unexpected turn things had taken. Even knowing conditions were favorable, she hadn't really expected it to work.

"Hey girl. So I'm like an honorary shinigami now? That's funny as fuck." Grimmjow purred as the gag and kido bonds were released. He embraced her, nuzzling her neck and Rukia couldn't help but flush. She hugged him tightly, feeling a great lightness in her heart. They were free –

"Rukia." Her heart froze as she heard a familiar voice. Turning she saw her brother. He was expressionless, as befitted a noble delivering bad news. "I am sorry. Despite the ruling of Central, the dictates of our clan are clear. You are no longer a member of the Kuchiki clan." Rukia nodded before bowing to him.

"Thank you, nii-san." She said before smiling and hugging him. He was stiff with surprise for a moment before gently putting a hand on her back. "Thank you for everything you've done for me. No matter what happens, you will always be like a brother to me." They might not officially be siblings any longer but that wouldn't change what was in her heart.

"If you ever hurt her, I will kill you." She heard him say and glanced up, seeing that Byakuya was looking behind her. She followed his gaze to Grimmjow, who was just grinning at the threat.

"That's fine, shinigami. I'd never hurt my mate anyhow." She smiled and pulled away from her former brother before going to him. He gently enfolded her in his arms. "What do we do now, Rukia?" He sounded almost lost. She could imagine why. Grimmjow didn't know anything about the Seireitei or the Rukongai.

"You can stay at the barracks tonight." Yumichika said with a smile. He and Ikkaku were still there, although Kenpachi and Yachiru had vanished. "We'll get you in some proper clothing – that outfit really is very stylish, I love it on you, but it screams 'arrancar, please attack – " Grimmjow grinned wickedly at that. "So let us escort you." Rukia understood why they were doing that. It would take a while for word to get around that Grimmjow was supposed to be here, and they didn't want to chance an incident.

"Thank you." She said gratefully, although they would have absolutely no privacy at the Eleventh. The barracks was meant for young, unmarried men and very uninhibited young women. Rukia made a mental note to tell Grimmjow, quite firmly, that they could not have sex in front of strangers. She was quite sure he'd be willing to try it. He had almost no shame.

Tomorrow, she would have to face the Soutaichou and whatever punishment she would receive for her desertion. Rukia smiled and rested a hand on her belly. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be too bad.

They couldn't throw a pregnant woman in the Mukan.

* * *

Grimmjow looked over the room dubiously before scratching his hair.

They were really trying to make a shinigami of him. He was a bit bemused by the whole thing, but willing to go along with it if it was the price of being with Rukia and his child.

He wasn't going to admit it to anyone, but he was worried. Rukia had gotten her punishment and it had been pretty light yet also pretty harsh. She was expelled from the Gotei 13, without pay, for the period of five years. Then she could reapply and they would consider letting her come back, although she probably wouldn't be a fukutaichou anymore. Considering everything else they could have done, that was a light punishment.

But for a pregnant woman, it was tough. Shinigami prized children as much as hollows, and Grimmjow had learned that when a shinigami woman got pregnant – a very rare event – she was usually given fully paid leave for the same five years. That meant he would have to support Rukia and his cub on nothing but his salary. And he wasn't even a seated officer so it wouldn't be good, at least at first. The Eleventh did have some openings for seated officers so he might get one, but fukutaichou was out of the question. Yachiru had that spot all sewn up.

So right now, he and Rukia were house hunting. Staying at the barracks was nice and all, but the lack of privacy really sucked. Fortunately, with all her years of staying with the Kuchiki clan Rukia had amassed a nice chunk of savings. They could make a pretty sweet down payment on a house, then they'd pay the rest off every month. Grimmjow thought it was called a 'mortgage'. His brain was getting a bit overloaded with information so he wasn't entirely sure.

"What do you think?" Rukia asked as she looked over the kitchen. Grimmjow frowned as he looked at the living room.

"I don't like it. Too open, not defensible." He grunted. "The size is good." It was small, which was what he liked. But the large picture window that let light in and gave it an illusion of size was also a weakness. Rukia glanced at the window with a frown.

"The window faces a fenced in area." She pointed out and he nodded dubiously. It wouldn't exactly be difficult for people to climb the fence. She sighed. "Maybe you're right. It's just so hard to explain to a realtor that you're worried about being attacked." She said wryly and Grimmjow grinned.

"I can see that." Most shinigami seemed to take it for granted that the Seireitei would be as orderly as the Rukongai was lawless. Grimmjow wasn't willing to take it for granted and after he'd explained his concerns, Rukia had agreed. She was a bit wary of public sentiment too.

Apparently, part of the reason the new Central had made the ruling they did was the utter hopelessness of eliminating all the arrancar. Even if they tried to exterminate them, the nature of Hueco Mundo practically guaranteed that some would escape. And all the other times something had come to haunt them, it had involved escapees from a massacre. So they'd decided to skip the whole thing and try to welcome this new addition to the cosmos. Grimmjow wasn't sure how it would work out but he was damned well going to give it his best shot.

That didn't mean everyone else was going to. There were plenty of people who crossed the street to avoid walking near him, which didn't bother Grimmjow much. Numeros had gone out of their way to avoid him, too. But he was going to make sure that he could easily defend his family in the event of an attack.

So they left that place, putting the key into the drop box, and went on to the next.

"Huh?" Grimmjow looked at the place very hard as they arrived. "This looks like a store?" He said and Rukia smiled as she glanced it over. It was a candy shop that specialized in the kinds of treats young children would adore.

"It's sort of an odd place. We have to go up the stairs on the side." The realtor had mentioned this property because it was cheap, not because he thought they would like it. The store had a set of metal stairs on the side that led to a door. Rukia used the key to open it, and they stepped inside. "The house is the upper level. The store is owned by someone else." That was what bothered most people about the place. It was worse than a duplex.

"I like this, girl." Grimmjow sounded enthusiastic and she blinked. "Look at the windows!" Rukia looked them over, immediately seeing why her arrancar lover would like them. They were small little things that let in just enough light that candles weren't needed. The rooms felt a bit claustrophobic, but that was the price you paid for defensibility. "And look at this!" He opened a door to a small room. It was in the middle of the house and had no lights at all, probably meant for storage. "If anything happens we could put the cub in here."

"Let's see what the kitchen is like first." She wanted to have at least a half-decent kitchen. They could not possibly eat out on Grimmjow's salary. Fortunately the kitchen was adequate, cheaply furnished but well laid out. Rukia smiled in approval. The place was very small but someone had taken care to use the area to its fullest. "Don't get too excited." She cautioned her mate, who frowned. "We need to find out more about whoever owns the candy shop. We don't want an enemy right under us." That made him scowl and nod.

"Just eager to finally have sex again." He muttered and Rukia laughed. He wasn't taking his enforced abstinence too gratefully, although he was working out his frustrations sparring with Ikkaku and Yumichika. He hadn't sparred with Zaraki yet, mostly because Rukia had demanded they be given a bit of time to settle their lives before Kenpachi put Grimmjow into the Fourth. She was sure he'd end up there. Whether or not Kenpachi would be joining him was the only question. "We should really look into this, Rukia. This place is perfect."

"It's very reasonably priced too." Rukia decided that if they could get along with the candy shop owner, this was the place. Resting a hand on her belly, she hoped it would work out.

It did. The owner of the shop turned out to be a very sweet old man. He was more fascinated than frightened of the Espada, and Grimmjow regarded him with amused tolerance. His daughter was more alarmed about having a hollow so close, but the fact that they were about to have a child soothed her a bit. Rukia's belly was growing hugely, so it wouldn't be very long.

To her disgust and amusement, they were settled into their new home for just one day before Grimmjow had his first duel with Kenpachi. All of the Eleventh had been taking bets for how long Grimmjow would be in the Fourth, with side bets about how long Kenpachi would be there. The answers turned out to be two days and one day, respectively. Ikkaku won quite a bit of money on that one.

"You're both horrible." Rukia went to visit them, of course. Grimmjow gave her a tired grin as she surveyed his injuries. "Did you have fun?" From the looks of it, he'd had quite a lot of fun.

"It was great! He's almost as good as Kurosaki." Grimmjow purred and Rukia wondered what Ichigo would say if he heard that. Although he'd probably be more than willing to pawn his two enemies off on each other. Grimmjow laughed when she said that. "Nah! Kurosaki will always be my favorite enemy."

"I'll make sure to tell him that next time I see him." Rukia said wryly. It seemed that poor Ichigo had a genius for attracting the attentions of men who were obsessed with battle. "What did Kenpachi say?" She asked out of morbid curiosity. She knew he was partly evaluating Grimmjow's skills. The Espada grinned.

"I'm the fourth seat now." He said proudly and Rukia smiled. That would give his income a small boost and she was pleased to hear that he'd been ranked over Yumichika. He probably outranked Ikkaku and the other seats as well, in terms of power, but the pay was all the same. There was no need for a rank shuffle. "Apparently it was open because Yumichika under thought the kanji for fifth was prettier? That guy is weird as hell." He confided and Rukia laughed. "So when are we going to see the baby?" Mayuri had bribed them both into taking an exam with him. Their reward would be an ultrasound of the baby and hopefully a conclusive read of his or her gender.

"As soon as you get out of here." She smiled as he rested a hand on her growing belly. The baby chose that moment to kick and his grin was wide and delighted. "I wouldn't want to do it without you." That would just be wrong and Grimmjow growled at the thought.

"Can't wait to see it. I'll be out of here faster than you can say boo." He promised and Rukia laughed. "Just you wait!"

"We'll see." She gave him a kiss and it got more than a little heated. But there was no privacy and they finally parted, leaving him to rest and recover.

Once he'd been cleared for duty, they went to see Kurotsuchi. He was a bit too thrilled to see them again, but the new parents watched in fascination as he did the ultrasound. Ryuken's equipment had been good but the baby had been far less developed then. This time they could clearly see a little kitty tail, twitching slowly as the cub sucked on her thumb. Rukia smiled as Grimmjow's arm tightened around her shoulders.

"Beautiful, beautiful! You will be having a girl." Mayuri said with a grin as Nemu ran the scanner over her belly, rotating the image. "She is definitely showing some feline features. However, there appears to be no sign of a hollow mask or hole."

"Born hollows never have holes. They're whole souls, just like born shinigami." Grimmjow said and Kurotsuchi gave him a fascinated look. Rukia feared for her mate. Fortunately, he was more than willing to talk. "They're completely stable and don't need to fear regression. Born vasto lorde, most of them, even if the parents are two adjuchas. My girl might be stronger than me." He sounded proud and Rukia smiled, leaning against him. She wasn't sure what kind of father he would make but she was sure her daughter would never doubt that her father loved her.

"And the mask? Are born hollows normally covered in bone like normal ones?" Kurotsuchi asked and Grimmjow nodded.

"Yeah, they are. The look just like normal hollows but without a hole. The no mask fragments might be a shinigami or arrancar thing. Or maybe we're just missing them? Would that scanner get them if they were flat on her body?" He asked and Mayuri turned his attention back to the image before discussing it with Nemu. It went in a technical direction neither of them could follow, but the consensus was that they would see it if there were fragments. "So I was wondering. Did you know that arrancar's appearances are fixed when our masks are broken?" He asked and Rukia blinked at him, surprised.

"No! Please, tell me more." Mayuri looked keenly interested and Rukia frowned. Why was Grimmjow mentioning this?

"Yeah, my hair is all natural. But I've always wanted a beard." He ran a hand over his chin as he looked at Kurotsuchi hopefully. "I was wondering if you could – ow!" Rukia had just punched him in the side.

"No!" She said sharply. He looked crestfallen.

"No?" He said and she glowered at him. "Not even a little beard like Starrk's…?"

"No!" Rukia said again. She loved him just the way he was. She did NOT want a beard.

"It would be a fascinating challenge! I could research – " That was as far as Mayuri got before she glared at him.

"No!" She did not want Kurotsuchi giving her mate a beard. The two men both looked very let down for a moment. Then Grimmjow sighed.

"This vendetta against body hair, I don't get it… well, maybe not. Thanks though." Grimmjow gave in. There was no point in upsetting his woman, although he really did want to know what he'd look like with a beard. "Are we about done?" They were, although Kurotsuchi did want to run a few more tests.

With that out of the way, Grimmjow and Rukia spent the next few days furnishing the nest. Grimmjow had his duties, of course, but whenever he had a moment he ripped open a garganta and went back to Hueco Mundo. The other taichou were inclined to be suspicious… until he started returning with cushions and mattresses. He even got Ikkaku to help and came back with a nice couch. Getting it up into their house was a challenge, but they managed it. Rukia's part in the decorating was deciding where everything would go.

The end result was what Renji had christened 'Aizen castoffs' style. Their couch was mostly white with little black lines, and Rukia said it was the most impractical thing in the world for a cub. But it was free, so it stayed. Their bed was the same it had been in Los Noches, nice mattresses with lots and lots of pillows. Aizen's abandoned fortress had a fully stocked kitchen, so Grimmjow had gotten every kind of cooking implement they could need and plenty they likely didn't. Not to mention more of Aizen's tea biscuits. They had a special container on the counter.

The only real adornment in the place was a picture Grimmjow had stolen from Tosen's old rooms. He had no idea what it was supposed to be and Rukia had no clue either, but it filled up an empty wall. The patterns on it weren't too bad either, dark blue and purple mingled together in wavy lines.

With all that done they got started on making up for lost time. It was one of those nights when something loud and stupid happened.

"You're so beautiful, girl." Grimmjow purred in her ear as he moved against her and Rukia gasped, gripping him tightly with her thighs. The feel of that hard length inside her, tormenting her in all the right ways was just –

"RUKIA!" Grimmjow's head came up at that shout and Rukia groaned before wrapping her legs more firmly around his waist.

"Your favorite enemy… or me. Make the right decision." She growled in his ear and was pleased that he didn't have to think twice.

"Fuck that douchebag. Or rather, not fuck him, I don't swing that way…" He said before kissing her throat, sucking the pale skin before grazing her with his teeth. His thrusts took on an extra urgency, abusing her insides in just the right way –

"Why are your windows so small – oof!" They could faintly hear the voice in the background but neither of them cared. They were far too involved in what they were doing. That changed as the door opened and they both froze. "RUKI… oh."

"Did someone drop you on your head as a baby, soul reaper?" Grimmjow inquired as Kurosaki stared at them with an open mouthed expression. Then he deliberately moved, making Rukia groan.

"GET OUT!" The sound of death approaching galvanized Ichigo and Grimmjow laughed as the door slammed shut. "You. Don't stop." She gasped and Grimmjow wasn't loath at all to obey that order. In fact, Kuroskai's interruption sort of turned him on. It made him feel the need to stake his territory and he did that with massive enthusiasm.

It didn't take much longer before he felt Rukia's insides clenching around him and heard her cry out his name. He followed, growling her name as his orgasm came over him. It was so damned good, the feel of her body, the baby between them, everything about her. He couldn't get enough.

But as they came down from their high, they both remembered the visitor. Grimmjow chuckled as he pulled away and Rukia looked downright pissed.

"I am going to kill him." She muttered as she grabbed a robe and pulled it on. Grimmjow followed suit. His robe was something they'd picked up at a thrift shop, a bit threadbare but bright blue. He loved wearing it after baths and it was good after sex, too. "That idiot! Why couldn't he knock like a normal person?"

"Does Kurosaki even do normal?" Grimmjow asked before he pulled open the door. Ichigo was sitting on the couch and looking at the floor, his cheeks a bit red. "Hey Kurosaki! You owe me a rematch. That last one was just lame." Really, that had all been complete bullshit. Outnumber four to one, whoop-de-doo. Or was it five? Whatever.

"Ichigo!" Then Rukia was going off on him and Grimmjow leaned against the wall, grinning, as the teen turned red. "You baka! How dare you! Are you some kind of perverted voyeur?!"

"Of course not! How was I supposed to know you were doing THAT?" He tried to defend himself but Rukia was unrelenting.

"BAKA! I'm pregnant, living with my boyfriend and we have a house all to ourselves! What did you think we were doing, playing chess?" She demanded and, possibly to take a bit of the pressure off, Ichigo asked a question.

"Yeah, about that. Everyone wants to know when you're getting married." He asked and Rukia almost choked before giving him a scorching glare. She hadn't brought it up to Grimmjow because _he_ hadn't brought it up, and the truth was, that was a wound on her heart. But if he didn't want to she wasn't going to pressure –

"What's married?" The arrancar asked and they both looked at him wide eyed. "What?" He looked baffled and Rukia felt absolute shock for a moment. Then, she was mortified. Of _course_ he didn't know about marriage! It wasn't the sort of thing hollows did, in the sands of Hueco Mundo.

"Marriage is – is how shinigami declare to each other that they are mates." She managed as Ichigo looked back and forth between the two of them. Grimmjow mulled over that a moment before drawing his lips away from one canine tooth in a half-snarl.

"What, can't they tell? My scent is all over you!" He said, clearly very unhappy about the idea that anyone might _not_ know they were mated. Rukia blushed as Ichigo shook his head.

"Shinigami don't have very good noses. They use rings, worn on one particular finger." He explained and Grimmjow nodded.

"Okay. How expensive are these rings and how soon can we – umph!" He was startled when Rukia hugged him, sniffling into his chest. "Oh hey. This meant a lot to you, did it?" His voice was softer as his arms went around her, his favorite enemy almost forgotten. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I thought… you didn't want to. A lot of shinigami men never… and especially in the eleventh." She choked out. This wasn't a romantic proposal, not at all, but the way Grimmjow seemed to take it for granted that they would shout their relationship to the world was deeply touching. Getting herself together a bit, she pulled back and began to explain. "The rings can be almost anything, from simple carved wooden bands to gold. There's a ceremony but it's short for commoners." If she'd still been a noble it would have been an event to remember. "We can get it done by a justicar." That seemed like more the thing to do with an arrancar like Grimmjow. Any religious officiant might refuse to marry them. He nodded.

"We'll get some of the wood ones and upgrade later." Grimmjow said decisively and Rukia smiled. That was practical and very much like him. "I'm guessing those judge guys are busy and we'll have to make an appointment. Hey Kurosaki! Did you want to come?" He asked, surprising them both. But the teen ventured a small smile.

"Yes, of course. Rukia's my best friend." Rukia smiled back at him. That was no doubt why he'd dared Grimmjow to see her again. And that made the blue haired man grin.

"Yeah, I know. If you weren't gay as fuck I'd be jealous." He said teasingly and Rukia's eyes went wide as Ichigo looked completely mortified. Gay? "What? You know I can smell it. That Renji guy is all over you."

"What!" Rukia yelped, her mind almost shutting down. Ichigo and Renji? "Ichigo! Have you really…?" He was turning bright red and grabbed a cushion.

"No! I mean… yes but… agh!" The cushion went over his face in a makeshift attempt at hiding and Grimmjow laughed. "It's not like that." He said feebly as Rukia scowled and punched her mate in the side.

"Well, you can tell me how it is later. For now, we need to make an appointment to get married." Dodging back into her room she grabbed some real clothing, changing out of the robe. Grimmjow followed a moment later, grabbing his new shinigami uniform. Rukia paused to admire him for a moment as he changed, feeling a wave of warmth and pleasure.

They would be married soon. Nothing in the world could be better.


End file.
